Voters stood in long lines outside some polling centers in Cairo well before they opened at 8 a.m. local time (1 a.m. ET), a rare sign of interest in political participation after decades of apathy created by the mass rigging of every vote.

"We are very happy to be here and to be part of the election," said Wafa Zaklama, 55, voting for the first time in a parliamentary election. "What was the point before?" she asked.

Amr Nabil / AP

Women line up outside a polling center in Cairo on November 28.

Bernat Armangue / AP

A soldier stands guard as voters enter a polling center in Cairo on November 28.

In the upscale neighborhood of Zamalek, some 500 voters waited in line outside a polling station at a school. Shahira Ahmed, 45, was there with her husband and daughter. Like Nawar, Ahmed had never cast a ballot before.

"I never voted because I was never sure it was for real. This time, I hope it is, but I am not positive. The most important thing is to have a liberal and a civilized country, I mean no fanatics," she said, alluding to the Islamists, who hope their domination of the next parliament will bring them closer to realizing their dream of creating an Islamic Egypt. Read the full story.

Ahmed Jadallah / Reuters

A woman reads a ballot paper before casting her vote at a polling station during the parliamentary election in Cairo on November 28.